OpenRaiser/Intern-Atlas huggingface dataset:
Voice over IP in the Local Exchange: A Case Study
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

There have been a small number of cost studies of Voice over IP (VoIP) in the academic literature. Generally, they have been for abstract networks, have not been focused on the public switched telephone network, or they have not included the operating costs. This paper presents the operating cost portion of our ongoing research project comparing circuit-switched and IP network costs for an existing local exchange carrier. We have found that (1) The operating cost differential between IP and circuit switching for this LEC will be small; and (2) A substantial majority of a telco's operating cost lies in customer service and outside plant maintenance, which will be incurred equally in both networks in a pure substitution scenario. Thus, the operating cost difference lies in the actual cost differences of the switching technologies. This appears to be less than 10%-15% of the total operating cost of the network. Thus, even if the cost differences for substitute services were large, the overall impact on the telco's financial performance would be small. But IP has some hidden benefits on the operations side. Most notably, data and voice services could be managed with the same systems infrastructure, meaning that the incremental operations cost of rolling out new services would likely be much lower, since it would all be IP.
United States v. Microsoft: A Failure of Antitrust in the New Economy
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

This paper analyzes the law and economics of United States v. Microsoft, a landmark case of antitrust intervention in network industries. [abridged]
Asymmetric Regulation on Steroids: U.S. Competition Policy and Fiber to the Home
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

Fiber to the Home (FTTH) describes a set of emerging technologies with the potential to affect competition in local access. On one hand, the high cost of deploying fiber to the residence suggests limitations on facilities-based competition among FTTH networks. On the other hand, FTTH opens up new possibilities for service-level competition, defined as the sharing of a single network infrastructure by multiple higher-layer service providers, whether of the same or different services. Yet technology is hardly an exogenous factor that independently shapes future local access competition; the regulatory environment also plays a key role. By shaping expectations about future competitive requirements, current regulations influence network operators' deployment choices among competing FTTH technologies, as well as design choices made by vendors and standards bodies for technologies still under development.The current regulatory approach to FTTH is far from consistent. Network operators likely to deploy FTTH include Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs), incumbent cable operators, competitive access providers (including CLECs), independent telephone companies, and municipalities. This paper reviews the rules related to service-level competition that apply to each of these categories. In essence, the paper finds that if current regulatory trends continue, asymmetries in the regulation of service-level competition will be on steroids by the time FTTH starts being more commonly deployed. Current regulatory requirements are either non-existent, or extremely detailed and technology- and service- specific (e.g. UNEs). We argue that neither of these approaches is likely to achieve the desired result for FTTH, given the current state of flux in emerging FTTH technology.
Universal Service in times of Reform: Affordability and accessibility of telecommunication services in Latin America
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

By surveying the universal service policies in six Latin American countries, this study explores the evolution of the concept during the rollout of the telecommunication reform in the last decade. Country profiles and a set of universal service indicators provide a frame for discussing issues of accessibility and affordability of telephone service in the region. This study found that the reconfiguration of national networks fostered by liberalization policies offered risks and opportunities to achieve universal service goals. The diversification of access points and services enhanced users choices but price rebalancing and lack of Universal Service Obligations (USO) to target groups with special needs depressed the demand and threatened to exclude significant parts of the population. The situation requires the reformulation of USO incorporating all technological solutions existing in the market, and factors from the consumer-demand accounting for the urban-rural continuum, and different social and economic strata. This study identifies the emergence of a second generation of USO targeting some of these needs. However, more competition and special tariff plans for the poor need to be incorporated to the options available in the market.
Quality of service monitoring: Performance metrics across proprietary content domains
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

We propose a quality of service (QoS) monitoring program for broadband access to measure the impact of proprietary network spaces. Our paper surveys other QoS policy initiatives, including those in the airline, and wireless and wireline telephone industries, to situate broadband in the context of other markets undergoing regulatory devolution. We illustrate how network architecture can create impediments to open communications, and how QoS monitoring can detect such effects. We present data from a field test of QoS-monitoring software now in development. We suggest QoS metrics to gauge whether information "walled gardens" represent a real threat for dividing the Internet into proprietary spaces. To demonstrate our proposal, we are placing our software on the computers of a sample of broadband subscribers. The software periodically conducts a battery of tests that assess the quality of connections from the subscriber's computer to various content sites. Any systematic differences in connection quality between affiliated and non-affiliated content sites would warrant research into the behavioral implications of those differences. QoS monitoring is timely because the potential for the Internet to break into a loose network of proprietary content domains appears stronger than ever. Recent court rulings and policy statements suggest a growing trend towards relaxed scrutiny of mergers and the easing or elimination of content ownership rules. This policy environment could lead to a market with a small number of large, vertically integrated network operators, each pushing its proprietary content on subscribers.
Elusive Threats: Security Weaknesses of Commercial Cellular Networks
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

Commercial cellular telecommunications networks are routinely used as key means of voice and data transport by both businesses and the Public. Despite advances in encryption and other security measures, these commercial cellular networks remain extremely vulnerable to malicious attacks and the loss of user and data privacy and integrity. Such losses can result not only in mere inconvenience, but in serious corporate and national security breaches. Because of the potentially catastrophic nature of such security breaches, it behooves cellular network operators, distributors, and users to explore these network risk areas and mitigate them to the extent that current resources allow.
Analyzing Website Choice Using Clickstream Data
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

This paper uses clickstream data from Plurimus Corp. (formerly Foveon Corp.) to analyze user choice of Internet portals. It will show that commonly used econometric models for examining grocery scanner data can be applied to clickstream data on advertising-based online markets. Developing a framework to study consumer choices of free websites is an essential step to better understanding user behavior on the Internet. The main data for this study is a clickstream data set consisting of every website visited by 2654 users from December 27 1999 to March 31 2000. Using this data, I construct several variables including search success, time spent searching, and whether a website is an individual's starting page. I also have advertising and media mentions data. This study helps to increase understanding of user behavior on the Internet. It explores some key determinants of website choice and simulates market responses to changes in the online environment. By better understanding website choice, we can better evaluate the implications of policy decisions.
A Proposal for Dynamic Access Lists for TCP/IP Packet Filering
Venue: arXiv cs.NI 2001
Year: 2001

The use of IP filtering to improve system security is well established, and although limited in what it can achieve has proved to be efficient and effective. In the design of a security policy there is always a trade-off between usability and security. Restricting access means that legitimate use of the network is prevented; allowing access means illegitimate use may be allowed. Static access list make finding a balance particularly stark -- we pay the price of decreased security 100% of the time even if the benefit of increased usability is only gained 1% of the time. Dynamic access lists would allow the rules to change for short periods of time, and to allow local changes by non-experts. The network administrator can set basic security guide-lines which allow certain basic services only. All other services are restricted, but users are able to request temporary exceptions in order to allow additional access to the network. These exceptions are granted depending on the privileges of the user. This paper covers the following topics: (1) basic introduction to TCP/IP filtering; (2) semantics for dynamic access lists and; (3) a proposed protocol for allowing dynamic access; and (4) a method for representing access lists so that dynamic update and look-up can be done efficiently performed.
Alife Model of Evolutionary Emergence of Purposeful Adaptive Behavior
Venue: arXiv cs.NE 2001
Year: 2001

The process of evolutionary emergence of purposeful adaptive behavior is investigated by means of computer simulations. The model proposed implies that there is an evolving population of simple agents, which have two natural needs: energy and reproduction. Any need is characterized quantitatively by a corresponding motivation. Motivations determine goal-directed behavior of agents. The model demonstrates that purposeful behavior does emerge in the simulated evolutionary processes. Emergence of purposefulness is accompanied by origin of a simple hierarchy in the control system of agents.
Towards Solving the Interdisciplinary Language Barrier Problem
Venue: arXiv cs.CY 2001
Year: 2001

This work aims to make it easier for a specialist in one field to find and explore ideas from another field which may be useful in solving a new problem arising in his practice. It presents a methodology which serves to represent the relationships that exist between concepts, problems, and solution patterns from different fields of human activity in the form of a graph. Our approach is based upon generalization and specialization relationships and problem solving. It is simple enough to be understood quite easily, and general enough to enable coherent integration of concepts and problems from virtually any field. We have built an implementation which uses the World Wide Web as a support to allow navigation between graph nodes and collaborative development of the graph.
Explaining Scenarios for Information Personalization
Venue: arXiv cs.HC 2001
Year: 2001

Personalization customizes information access. The PIPE ("Personalization is Partial Evaluation") modeling methodology represents interaction with an information space as a program. The program is then specialized to a user's known interests or information seeking activity by the technique of partial evaluation. In this paper, we elaborate PIPE by considering requirements analysis in the personalization lifecycle. We investigate the use of scenarios as a means of identifying and analyzing personalization requirements. As our first result, we show how designing a PIPE representation can be cast as a search within a space of PIPE models, organized along a partial order. This allows us to view the design of a personalization system, itself, as specialized interpretation of an information space. We then exploit the underlying equivalence of explanation-based generalization (EBG) and partial evaluation to realize high-level goals and needs identified in scenarios; in particular, we specialize (personalize) an information space based on the explanation of a user scenario in that information space, just as EBG specializes a theory based on the explanation of an example in that theory. In this approach, personalization becomes the transformation of information spaces to support the explanation of usage scenarios. An example application is described.
The Control of a Beamline Over Intranet
Venue: arXiv cs.NI 2001
Year: 2001

The machines and beamlines controlled by VME industrial networks are very popular in accelerator faculties. Recently new software technology, among of which are Internet/Intranet application, Java language, and distributed calculating environment, changes the control manner rapidly. A program based on DCOM is composed to control of a variable included angle spherical grating monochromator beamline at National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) in China. The control computer with a residential DCOM program is connected to Intranet by LAN, over which the user-end-operating program located in another computer sends driving beamline units' commands to the control computer. And also a web page coded in Java, published by the WWW service running in the control computer, is simply illustrated how to use web browser to query the states of or to control the beamline units.
Versatile Data Acquisition and Controls for Epics Using Vme-Based Fpgas
Venue: arXiv cs.AR 2001
Year: 2001

Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have provided Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) with versatile VME-based data acquisition and control interfaces with minimal development times. FPGA designs have been used to interface to VME and provide control logic for numerous systems. The building blocks of these logic designs can be tailored to the individual needs of each system and provide system operators with read-backs and controls via a VME interface to an EPICS based computer. This versatility allows the system developer to choose components and define operating parameters and options that are not readily available commercially. Jefferson Lab has begun developing standard FPGA libraries that result in quick turn around times and inexpensive designs.
An Integrated Development Environment for Declarative Multi-Paradigm Programming
Venue: arXiv cs.PL 2001
Year: 2001

In this paper we present CIDER (Curry Integrated Development EnviRonment), an analysis and programming environment for the declarative multi-paradigm language Curry. CIDER is a graphical environment to support the development of Curry programs by providing integrated tools for the analysis and visualization of programs. CIDER is completely implemented in Curry using libraries for GUI programming (based on Tcl/Tk) and meta-programming. An important aspect of our environment is the possible adaptation of the development environment to other declarative source languages (e.g., Prolog or Haskell) and the extensibility w.r.t. new analysis methods. To support the latter feature, the lazy evaluation strategy of the underlying implementation language Curry becomes quite useful.
Overview of the NSTX Control System
Venue: arXiv cs.OH 2001
Year: 2001

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is an innovative magnetic fusion device that was constructed by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) in collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Columbia University, and the University of Washington at Seattle. Since achieving first plasma in 1999, the device has been used for fusion research through an international collaboration of over twenty institutions. The NSTX is operated through a collection of control systems that encompass a wide range of technology, from hardwired relay controls to real-time control systems with giga-FLOPS of capability. This paper presents a broad introduction to the control systems used on NSTX, with an emphasis on the computing controls, data acquisition, and synchronization systems.
Gradient-based Reinforcement Planning in Policy-Search Methods
Venue: arXiv cs.AI 2001
Year: 2001

We introduce a learning method called ``gradient-based reinforcement planning'' (GREP). Unlike traditional DP methods that improve their policy backwards in time, GREP is a gradient-based method that plans ahead and improves its policy before it actually acts in the environment. We derive formulas for the exact policy gradient that maximizes the expected future reward and confirm our ideas with numerical experiments.
A Statistical Model for Word Discovery in Transcribed Speech
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2001
Year: 2001

A statistical model for segmentation and word discovery in continuous speech is presented. An incremental unsupervised learning algorithm to infer word boundaries based on this model is described. Results of empirical tests showing that the algorithm is competitive with other models that have been used for similar tasks are also presented.
Universal Model for Paraphrasing -- Using Transformation Based on a Defined Criteria --
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2001
Year: 2001

This paper describes a universal model for paraphrasing that transforms according to defined criteria. We showed that by using different criteria we could construct different kinds of paraphrasing systems including one for answering questions, one for compressing sentences, one for polishing up, and one for transforming written language to spoken language.
DNA Self-Assembly For Constructing 3D Boxes
Venue: arXiv cs.CC 2001
Year: 2001

We propose a mathematical model of DNA self-assembly using 2D tiles to form 3D nanostructures. This is the first work to combine studies in self-assembly and nanotechnology in 3D, just as Rothemund and Winfree did in the 2D case. Our model is a more precise superset of their Tile Assembly Model that facilitates building scalable 3D molecules. Under our model, we present algorithms to build a hollow cube, which is intuitively one of the simplest 3D structures to construct. We also introduce five basic measures of complexity to analyze these algorithms. Our model and algorithmic techniques are applicable to more complex 2D and 3D nanostructures.
Computing the average parallelism in trace monoids
Venue: arXiv cs.DM 2001
Year: 2001

The {\em height} of a trace is the height of the corresponding heap of pieces in Viennot's representation, or equivalently the number of factors in its Cartier-Foata decomposition. Let $h(t)$ and $|t|$ stand respectively for the height and the length of a trace $t$. Roughly speaking, $|t|$ is the `sequential' execution time and $h(t)$ is the `parallel' execution time. We prove that the bivariate commutative series $\sum_t x^{h(t)}y^{|t|}$ is rational, and we give a finite representation of it. We use the rationality to obtain precise information on the asymptotics of the number of traces of a given height or length. Then, we study the average height of a trace for various probability distributions on traces. For the uniform probability distribution on traces of the same length (resp. of the same height), the asymptotic average height (resp. length) exists and is an algebraic number. To illustrate our results and methods, we consider a couple of examples: the free commutative monoid and the trace monoid whose independence graph is the ladder graph.
Using Structural Metadata to Localize Experience of Digital Content
Venue: arXiv cs.DL 2001
Year: 2001

With the increasing technical sophistication of both information consumers and providers, there is increasing demand for more meaningful experiences of digital information. We present a framework that separates digital object experience, or rendering, from digital object storage and manipulation, so the rendering can be tailored to particular communities of users. Our framework also accommodates extensible digital object behaviors and interoperability. The two key components of our approach are 1) exposing structural metadata associated with digital objects -- metadata about the labeled access points within a digital object and 2) information intermediaries called context brokers that match structural characteristics of digital objects with mechanisms that produce behaviors. These context brokers allow for localized rendering of digital information stored externally.
Logic Programming, Functional Programming, and Inductive Definitions
Venue: arXiv cs.LO 2001
Year: 2001

An attempt at unifying logic and functional programming is reported. As a starting point, we take the view that "logic programs" are not about logic but constitute inductive definitions of sets and relations. A skeletal language design based on these considerations is sketched and a prototype implementation discussed.
Polygonal Chains Cannot Lock in 4D
Venue: arXiv cs.CG 2001
Year: 2001

We prove that, in all dimensions d>=4, every simple open polygonal chain and every tree may be straightened, and every simple closed polygonal chain may be convexified. These reconfigurations can be achieved by algorithms that use polynomial time in the number of vertices, and result in a polynomial number of ``moves.'' These results contrast to those known for d=2, where trees can ``lock,'' and for d=3, where open and closed chains can lock.
A theory of normed simulations
Venue: arXiv cs.LO 2002
Year: 2002

In existing simulation proof techniques, a single step in a lower-level specification may be simulated by an extended execution fragment in a higher-level one. As a result, it is cumbersome to mechanize these techniques using general purpose theorem provers. Moreover, it is undecidable whether a given relation is a simulation, even if tautology checking is decidable for the underlying specification logic. This paper introduces various types of normed simulations. In a normed simulation, each step in a lower-level specification can be simulated by at most one step in the higher-level one, for any related pair of states. In earlier work we demonstrated that normed simulations are quite useful as a vehicle for the formalization of refinement proofs via theorem provers. Here we show that normed simulations also have pleasant theoretical properties: (1) under some reasonable assumptions, it is decidable whether a given relation is a normed forward simulation, provided tautology checking is decidable for the underlying logic; (2) at the semantic level, normed forward and backward simulations together form a complete proof method for establishing behavior inclusion, provided that the higher-level specification has finite invisible nondeterminism.
Orderly Spanning Trees with Applications
Venue: arXiv cs.DS 2002
Year: 2002

We introduce and study the {\em orderly spanning trees} of plane graphs. This algorithmic tool generalizes {\em canonical orderings}, which exist only for triconnected plane graphs. Although not every plane graph admits an orderly spanning tree, we provide an algorithm to compute an {\em orderly pair} for any connected planar graph $G$, consisting of a plane graph $H$ of $G$, and an orderly spanning tree of $H$. We also present several applications of orderly spanning trees: (1) a new constructive proof for Schnyder's Realizer Theorem, (2) the first area-optimal 2-visibility drawing of $G$, and (3) the best known encodings of $G$ with O(1)-time query support. All algorithms in this paper run in linear time.